Is Menstruation Obsolete?

Elsimar M. Coutinho and Sheldon J. Segal

Is Menstruation Obsolete?

Elsimar M. Coutinho and Sheldon J. Segal

Description

Is Menstruation Obsolete? argues that regular monthly bleeding is not the "natural" state of women, and that it actually places them at risk of several medical conditions of varying severity. The authors maintain that while menstruation may be culturally significant, it is not medically meaningful. Moreover, they propose that suppressing menstruation has remarkable health advantages. Because of cultural changes, shorter durations of breast feeding, and birth control, the reproductive patterns of modern women no longer resemble that of their Stone age ancestors. Women have moved from the age of incessant reproduction to the age of incessant menstruation. Consequently, they often suffer from clinical disorders related to menstruation: anemia,
endometriosis, and PMS, just to name a few. The authors encourage readers to recognize what has gone previously unnoticed that this monthly discomfort is simply not obligatory. They present compelling evidence that the suppression of menstruation is a viable option for women today, and that it can be easily attained through the use of birth control pills. In fact, they reveal that contraceptive manufacturers, knowing that many women equate menstruation with femininity and that without monthly bleeding would fear that they were pregnant, engineered pill dosage regimens to ensure the continuation of their cycles. Indeed, throughout history societies have assigned menstruation powerful meaning, and Is Menstruation Obsolete? presents a fascinating history of how menstruation inspired
doctors to try therapeutic bleeding for a variety of ailments, and how this therapy remained dominant in Western medicine until the early 20th century. Is Menstruation Obsolete? offers women a fresh view of menstruation, providing them with the information they need to make progressive choices about their health. This is a message whose time has come.

Is Menstruation Obsolete?

Elsimar M. Coutinho and Sheldon J. Segal

Author Information

A recognized expert in uterine and Fallopian tube physiology and pharmacology, Dr. Elsimar M. Coutinho is a pioneer in the development of contraceptive methods. Full Professor of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Human Reproduction at Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Brazil, he is the author of three books on sexuality and conception control and has published over 300 scientific articles in medical journals. He has been a key figure in Brazil and Latin America in promoting family planning, reproductive health, and sex education. He lives in Bahia, Brazil. Sheldon J. Segal, Ph.D., is Distinguished Scientist at the Population Council, New York, and is former Director for Population Sciences at The Rockefeller Foundation. He is a biomedical scientist who has
authored over 350 publications in the fields of embryology, endocrinology, contraceptive development,and family planning. A founding director of the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, he continues to serve as a Trustee. He lives in Hartsdale, New York.

Is Menstruation Obsolete?

Elsimar M. Coutinho and Sheldon J. Segal

Reviews and Awards

"This book is a wake-up call for women to really think about menstruation and its function in our lives. For centuries women have not questioned that this is a natural needed function. The authors make a convincing case to the contrary that challenges basic assumptions accepted for ages and jolts us into a whole new way of thinking. Read the book."--Janet Benshoof, President, Center for Reproductive Law and Policy

"Is Menstruation Obsolete? challenges the Holy Grail of one of the most intimate aspects of a woman's body and life experience. This uprecedented scientific analysis of the health and social consequences and role-defining power of menstruation is certian to trigger consternation and, hopefully, thoughtful consideration. Let the debate begin!"--Faye Wattleton, Former President, Planned Parenthood, President, Center for Gender Equality

"This book will cause some overdue serious rethinking. Heresy will be seen in the forthright suggestion that the monthly flows are both unnecessary and preventable and may even contribute to women functioning at less than optimal levels in difficult situations. The thesis of `not necessary, not every month and not sacrosanct' has fascinating implications for all. The arguments and research are compelling and complete. This is a `must read' for all those concerned with women's health issues."--Margaret Carley-Carlson, former Deputy Health Minister of Canada, former President, Population Council

"Continuous oral contraceptive use, with the aim of providing amenorrhea, is a wonderful option for women who do well taking them. It is the preferred mode of use for women with endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and dysmenorrhea."--Sarah L. Berga, M.D., Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Psychiatry, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

"[Coutinho's] arguments are scientifically based, and his conclusions are thoroughly worked out in a definitely provocative but eminently worthwhile book that well may spend most of its prospective shelf-life off the shelf."--Booklist

"In a brilliant and provocative book, Is Menstruation Obsolete?, Dr.s Elsimer Coutinho and Sheldon S. Segal, two of the world's most prominent contraceptive researcers, argue that this recent move to what they call"incessant ovulation" has become a serious problem for women's health."--The New Yorker